


Over the Fence

by alexthelioness



Series: Two Sides, One Fence [1]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Progression, Gen, Kids - AU, Over the fence, add characters as they appear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:53:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4286139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexthelioness/pseuds/alexthelioness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's 7 when Grant Ward first meets Skye. What starts as a conversation on two sides of a fence turns into a lifelong friendship. SkyeWard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Age 7 - 5

He was 7 years old when Grant first met Skye. Well technically.

It was his own curiosity that drew him in. Living behind an orphanage meant there was no shortage of activity on the other side of the fence. Grant often heard the peal of laughter and screaming of children playing tag in the early afternoon. Often he would have to throw balls back over the fence or ask for his own balls back. Sometimes during the summer, after playing with his brothers for a bit, Grant would sit down and lean against the fence, closing his eyes and soaking in the sun and the sounds.

It was one day in September, during this afternoon tradition that Grant heard something unusual. A sniffle. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was alone in his yard. He listened for the usual laughter from the orphanage, but was met with only the sound of sniffling.

"Hello?" he spoke softly. Immediately the sniffling stopped. He heard the rustling of grass as someone on the other side of the fence moved,

"H-hello?" came a soft, feminine voice, "Is anyone there?"

Grant lifted himself up and walked closer to the voice,

"Are you okay? I heard you sniffling." He stopped where he thought he heard the voice, "Were you crying?"

There was silence on the other side of the fence. Grant spoke again,

"I'm Grant. What's your name?"

"Skye." came the voice. Grant smiled, he liked the name,

"Hello Skye. Why are you sad?" the sniffling resumed for a moment before Skye answered,

"The Miller's brought me back. They said I was bad. They didn't want me anymore." Grant could hear the sadness in the girl's voice. It made his chest hurt. He didn't really know how to respond so he just lowered himself down next to where Skye's voice came from. They sat in silence for a bit, with Skye's sniffling occasionally breaking through. It was Skye that finally spoke again, her sniffling had finally died down,

"How old are you Grant?"

"I'm 7," he responded immediately, "what about you?"

"I'm 5." Grant was taken aback, she spoke so well for a 5 year old. His brother was 3 and still preferred cooing and giggling.

He was about to continue speaking when he heard the door of the orphanage creak open,

"Mary Sue!" a concerned voice exclaimed, "we've been looking for you everywhere. It's time to wash-up and unpack! You don't want the other girls to take the nice clothes the Miller's gave you!" The grass rustled as Skye stood,

"Coming!" she responded before whispering to Grant, "I have to go. It was good meeting you Grant."

"You too Skye." He listened as Skye's footsteps faded away and the door squeaked closed.

After the initial small conversation with the voice named Skye, Grant didn't see or think of the girl. That is until a month later. He was sitting against the fence in his normal place when a ball flew over the top of the fence, landing close to his feet.

"Good going Mary! Look what you did!" a boy grunted, "This is why you can't play with us! Now we have to get Sister Nancy to go over and ask for the ball."

"I'm sorry Liam! I didn't mean to kick it so hard!" Grant perked up, he recognized that tiny little voice, it was Skye.

"Just leave us alone Mary. Nobody wants you here anyways." the boy's voice faded away. Grant was unsure if Skye had followed, so he grabbed the ball and gently tossed it over the fence. He heard the ball bounce once and a gasp of understanding before,

"Grant?" She sounded close to tears,

"Hey Skye!" he responded brightly, hoping his cheery demeanor could help cheer her up.

"Did you hear all that?"

"Yea. Why is he so mean?"

"He's just mad that the Miller's had chosen me over him in the first place." Grant couldn't hold back his snort of laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" came the defensive reply,

"They picked you, brought you back and still didn't pick him. I think that's pretty funny." After a few moments, Skye began to giggle as well. It wasn't long before they were both laughing uncontrollably. Grant was doubled over, fighting to take a breath, and judging by the short bursts between Skye's giggling, he assumed Skye was laughing just as hard. It took them a few minutes to cool down. They stayed in silence for a while. Grant could hear the sounds of play die down as the nuns called for the end of playtime.

"I guess it's time to go." The sadness had returned to the little girls voice.

"I'll talk to tomorrow then!"

"Tomorrow?

"Yea! Playtime tomorrow! This part of the fence. I'll be waiting."

"Okay," Skye didn't sound convinced, "I'll see you tomorrow." Her footsteps faded away from the fence and the door to the house squeaked shut. Grant set off back to his house, determined to see the girl laugh.

The following day he stood by the fence, anxiously waiting for the telltale sign of the kids being released for playtime. He was soon rewarded with the creak of the door opening and the shrieks of kids running to get to the balls first. No sooner had the kids begun to play when he heard a timid voice,

"Grant?"

"Hey Skye! So I was thinking, instead of talking through the fence, we could maybe talk face to face!" The girl scoffed in disbelief,

"That's impossible. The holes in the fence are too small to see through and I'm not tall enough to see over the fence!" Grant was expecting this and answered immediately,

"Is there a chair that you can maybe stand on, one that maybe the nuns wouldn't mind you getting dirty?" There was a moment of silence before the girl answered slowly,

"Mayyybe, hold on, let me go check." The girl dashed off. Grant took the opportunity to go grab his chair. It was an old wooden chair. Just old enough that his parents didn't care for it, but sturdy enough to hold his weight, and the weight of the two phone books he needed to stand on to peek over the edge of the fence. Skye came back breathless.

"Found one! Now what?"

"Stand on it and see if you can look over." There was a moment of grunting and huffing as Skye pulled herself up onto the chair. She whined in dissapointment,

"I still can't see!"

"How far are you from the top?"

"Still kinda far."

"Okay. Do you know if the nuns keep around any old crates or boxes that they wont miss?"

"Ummmm. Let me go check." There was a dull thump as the girl jumped down from the chair and took off running again. She took a little longer this time, but when she did return, she proudly excalimed that not only had she hit the mother lode of old, big books, but she also found a taller chair. It took a few minutes of manuevering and grunting but Grant could finally see the girls face peeking over the fence. Quickly, he climbed up on his own chair and looked into the little girls face.

She was small for her age, but she had a fire in her light brown eyes. Her hair, which had been pulled back into a ponytail (probably by one of the nuns), had come loose while she tried to create her tower. When his face popped up from the other end of the fence, her face had broken into a big grin.

Returning the smile, Grant stuck out his hand,

"Hello, I'm Grant! Nice to finally meet you." The girl grasped her hand firmly, shaking it once before replying seriously,

"I'm Skye. Nice to meet you too."

"So this is what the other side looks like," Grant remarked, looking past the girl and to the yard behind her. It was bigger than his yard, but not by much. There was a little patio where some girls were jumping rope and playing hopscotch. There was a little soccer goal set up against one of the fences, where kids were taking turns shooting at the poor kid assigned to goalie. A little closer to where they stood, there was a group of boys playing with the kickball. The leader of this group was a mean looking kid who Grant assumed was Liam. Skye looked over at the other kids with an expression Grant didn't quite understand. It looked to be a mix between disgust and sadness.

"Yea. It's not much. At least the older kids are in school." She looked back toward Grant's yard. It looked so manicured and empty. "It must be fun to have that whole yard to yourself." Grant shook his head,

"Nah, I have to share with my brothers. It probably not as crowded though." Skye raised an eyebrow,

"Brothers? You have brothers?"

"Yup! Two! Christian and Thomas. Christian is 11 and hes in school right now. Thomas is 3 and is taking his nap."

"That's cool. So why aren't you in school?" Grant shrugged,

"My parent's decided to home school me."

"Why?"

"Dunno. It may have to do with the fact that I punched the teacher in the face after she told me I couldn't punch the other kids in the face." Skye giggled.

"MARY SUE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Skye whirled around. A plump woman dressed in a nuns habit came rushing outside. Her face red. She approached Skye and grabbed her from under the arms and brought her back down on the ground, "Mary! What are you doing! You could've fallen and hurt yourself! Who would want to adopt a broken child!" Skye cast her eyes down in shame,

"I was talking to my friend Grant." The nun turned to face Grant, who was still standing on his own makeshift tower. Her eyes narrowed,

"Mr. Grant, I suggest you get down before you hurt yourself. We wouldn't want to involve your parents!"

"No ma'am." He quickly climbed down his own stack. He heard the nun continue to scold Skye,

"Mary, you cannot continue to misbehave. Parents want proper children like your friend Grant, not rule breakers like you. Let's get you inside and cleaned up."

Grant listened to the nun call all the children back inside. It wasn't lost on him the grumbles from Liam who blamed Skye for their shortened playtime. Once he heard the creak of the door shut, he made his way back to his own house.

The next day, Skye found him waiting at their spot again. She immediately began to apologize for getting him in trouble. Grant would have none of it.

"It's okay Skye! I can deal with a big scary nun." Skye remained quiet. Grant spoke again, "Yesterday I saw a little spot behind one of the trees. Do you think that the chair could maybe fit behind there?"

"I can try it. But Grant, do you really want to risk getting in trouble again?" Skye asked,

"I've got nothing better to do!"Grant replied enthusiastically.

It only took Skye a minute to confirm that the chair did indeed fit behind the tree, so they moved their whole operation behind the tree and out of sight. After reassembling their respective towers both eagerly climbed up to see the other.

"Hi!"

"Hello!"

"So about that teacher you punched...tell me more!"

Playtime flew by, with Grant recounting his public school escapades, and Skye telling him about her foster home adventures. They were both sad when they heard the nun, Sister Agatha, call for dinner. Skye turned to Grant,

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Grant grinned,

"You can count on it." Skye hopped down and ran towards the door. As per usual, Grant waited for the creaking of the door to shut before heading back to his house, thinking of their next meeting.


	2. Ages 10 & 11

Grant was 10 when he first saw Skye cry.

From that initial meeting Grant and Skye became close. Spending each afternoon on the top of their respective towers, talking, their friendship blossomed . Sometimes they would toss the ball back and forth over the fence and sometimes on really rough days, they would lean against the fence and sit in silence.

As the years passed, the tradition continued. Sometimes they couldn't meet. Skye would be off at a new foster home, or Grant would be sick, or there would be a rainy day, but they would always meet back behind the tree. Even after Skye started school when she turned 6, Grant would be waiting at the fence after school, waiting to hear all about her day.

The nuns seemed to find their friendship cute. After they had caught the duo conversing several times, they spoke with The Wards and arranged for the installment of a gate between the two yards. The look of delight on the children's faces was enough to quell any fears the Ward's had about Grant hanging out with Skye.

Following the installation of the gate, after school playtime consisted of games of hide and seek, tag, and sometimes monkey in the middle with Thomas. Friday afternoons, after playing for a while, they would lay in the grass and stare up at the sky. The Friday before Ward's eleventh birthday they sat and stared at the clouds as they waited for Grant's mother to call them in for cake.

Grant had noticed Skye wringing her hands together, and her gaze darting between Grant and the gate. He had sensed her anxiety since she had stepped through the gate. He didn't want to be rude, and instead waited for Skye to explain what was making her anxious.

"Grant?" Grant smiled inwardly, he knew Skye well enough to know she couldn't keep anything from him

"Yea Skye?" The girl sat up from the grass, grasping nervously at the stalks. Grant sat up as well, his brows arched in concerned. Something big was bothering Skye. "Everything okay?" He reached out to take her hand but Skye pulled back, still avoiding his gaze.

"How does it feel?" it was so soft Grant had to strain to hear,

"How does what feel?" Skye finally looks up at him, tears gathering in her eyes,

"To have a mommy and a daddy that love you? People that want you? A family?" He voice cracked at the last word. Tears were freely streaming down her face. Grant moved closer and wrapped an arm around the crying girl. Skye leaned in closer. Grant could feel her whisper against his chest,

"I heard the nuns talking today. They were calling me a hopeless case. Too many problems. They said nobody would want me." Grant brought her closer, squeezing her for comfort. He had never had seen her cry before, he'd heard her that first day, but now he could give her comfort, make her feel a bit better.

"Now that's not true. You're not hopeless. You're awesome and cool and funny. Anybody would be lucky to have you as their kid. Anyone who says otherwise is stupid." Grant could feel the tension lessen in the girls small frame. She had stopped crying.

"Thank you Grant."

Grants mother called them in for cake and they stood. Skye wiped her face on her sleeve and followed Grant inside, smile plastered on her face. Grant noticed that the usual sparkle in her eye was dim. He made a promise to himself that as long as he was friends with Skye, he would make it his mission to make the girl happy.

After they finished eating Grant escorted Skye back to the gate. She thanked Grant for the food and went to open the gate before Grant stopped her,

"We love you Skye. Tommy loves you, my mom and dad love you. You are loved, don't forget that. Well be here for you no matter what." The girl rushed up to Grant and hugged him tight. She whispered Thank You and then she was gone. Grant listened for the creak of the door and then went back inside.

Grant was 11 when he enrolled in public school.

After Grant's father successful run for senate, his parents had decided to enroll him into middle school. His first day of 6th grade he was terribly lost. A group of 8th graders watched him as he tried to match the numbers on his schedule to the room numbers on the wall. His cheeks flushed pink when he heard them laughing behind him,

"Lance, go help the poor boy!" a pretty blonde girl spoke, talking to the boy next to her. The boy snorted,

"And ruin all the fun Bob?" Grant was a little surprised at the British accent that came out of the cowboy hat wearing boy. The girl shot him a look and crossed her arms. He sighed and made his way over to Grant. "Where ya headed?" Grant looked down at the paper in front of him and read off the first period,

"History with Ms. Carter." Lance gave a grunt of laughter and turned back to his friends,

"Did you hear that? He's got Carter first!" The older kids moved closer to study his schedule and Grant took an inadvertent step back. The girl held out her hand for the schedule and smiled when Grant handed it to her with shaky hands.

"No need to be scared. Ms Carter's really nice." She looked down at his schedule and studied it for a moment before handing it back, "Shouldn't be too bad. You have Mr. Quill for PE. He basically blasts 80's music while you play dodge ball. I'm Bobbi by the way. This is Lance. This is Izzy, Idaho and Mack." She gestured to the the other three kids studying him.

"I'm Grant. Grant Ward." Recognition flashed in Bobbi's eyes,

"Ward? Like 'Ward off crisis with Senator Ward' Ward?" Grant flinched at the cliche slogan but nodded. The other kids seemed to recognize the name, the tallest kid, Mack commented on how his mother had voted for him. Grant looked nervously at the wall clock behind Lance. Bobbi seemed to notice and quickly pointed the way to Ms. Carter's room. He nodded his thanks and was about to head down the hall when Lance grabbed his arm,

"Hey, you've got second wave with us. Come find us during lunch!" The older boy released his arm and rushed the other way. Grant stood stunned for a moment, unable to comprehend the invitation. The late bell broke him out of he reverie and he rushed down the hall to class.

When Grant got home that day he was bubbling with excitement. He couldn't wait to tell Skye all about his first day of school. He spread his homework on the desk by the door and kept glancing towards the fence, waiting for Skye to walk through. It felt like an eternity before the gate opened and the small brunette girl popped her head through. Grant waved and opened the door. He went to the cupboard to grab her a snack as she settled in the chair next to his homework. She glanced over his homework and stuck her tongue out.

"So guess what happened at school today!" Skye looked up,

"What?" Grant tossed her a bag of fruit snacks and returned to his seat, ignoring his homework, choosing instead to describe his day,

"I made friends with some 8th graders!" He puffed up his chest and smiled.

"Whoa! Already?" Grant nodded, "How?"

"I got lost in the halls and a nice girl told me where to go. Her friends invited me to lunch. They were all really cool Skye! Bobbi does a lot of martial arts, and Lance is British but he can do a perfect american accent. Bobbi says it makes him sound stupid but I think its really cool! They have a friend named Idaho, but I don't think that's his real name, and then there's Izzy-" Grant continued to ramble on about his new friends. Skye sat and listened until the end, patiently waiting for her turn to speak.

When Grant finally finished his story he gave a huge sigh before focusing his attention back on his friend.

"So how was your first day?" Skye shrugged,

"I didn't go."

"What? Why?"

"There was a family visiting today. The nuns thought I would be perfect."

"And...? What did the family think?" Grant was sometimes perturbed by Skye's cavalier attitude towards getting adopted. It was almost as if she didn't have any hope of actually getting adopted.

"They were considering it. They said they would come back tomorrow, to ask some more questions, spend more time."

"Well that's good! Hey maybe if they like what they see tomorrow, they could be your forever home!" Skye shrugged and looked at the clock on the stove.

"It's getting late, I have to head back! I'm glad you had a great day. I can't wait to hear how tomorrow goes!" The enthusiasm returned to her voice and Grant returned her smile. He walked her back to the gate and wished her luck as she slipped through the gate. He waited for the telltale creak before turning back to the house and returning to his homework.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So I'm on the first leg of a cross country road trip, so I may not be able to update for the next week or so, so I thought I would write something to keep you guys entertained.
> 
> I hope the story is living up to your guys expectations.
> 
> ps I know Grant heard Skye crying, but never saw her crying, so it is technically the first time he saw her cry.
> 
> Please let me know about any inconsistencies or mistakes and I will try to fix them.
> 
> Let me know what you think: what you liked, what you didn't like. I'm a big girl, I can take it!
> 
> Review REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE
> 
> Till next time
> 
> -Alex


	3. Age 14

Grant is 14 when he meets Raina Valentine

His first few days of high school were rough. Even with the help of Bobbi and Lance, he still managed to get lost on the way to his world history class. Instead he walked into the French 2 class and comes face to face with a class full of sophomores. The teacher, Ms. Martinelli turned from where she was writing on the board and gave him a questioning look,

"You lost honey?" Grant gripped his side bag tighter and gave a slight nod.

"I'm looking for World History with Mr. Rogers." Ms Martinelli sighed and turned to face her class. Her gaze flicked over the faces of her students and she zeroed in on her target.

"Ms. Valentine!" A girl with dark, curly hair, and a dark complexion perked up, "Would you please escort this young man down the hall to Mr. Rogers room?"

"Sure thing Ms. M!" The girl hopped out of the chair and walked towards the door. She gave Grant a smile and walked out to the hall. Grant gave Ms. Martinelli a grateful glace and rushed to catch up with the girl. She had stopped a few doors down and was leaning against the wall. When Grant finally caught up she extended her hand,

"I'm Raina. And you are?" Grant shook her hand,

"Grant Ward." Recognition flashed in her eyes, but she didn't comment on the name. Instead she started walking again, this time at a slower pace. Grant couldn't help but study Raina out of the corner of his eye as they. She was stunning. Her face glowed, and her brown eyes sparkled, her curls bounced as she walked, and her lip gloss reflected the lights in the hall. Grant was mesmerized.

He was so wrapped up in studying the girl, he almost didn't notice that they had stopped outside a classroom. Grant was disappointed that they hadn't had longer to walk. Raina looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to enter the room. Suddenly nervous, he cleared his throat,

"Thanks. I guess, I'll see you around?"

"Sure! If you need help finding any of your other classes, you can come find me. In the meantime, you should get going. Mr. Rogers is really strict about attendance. Good luck!" She flashed another smile and turned back towards her class. Grant stared at her as she disappeared down the hall. Finally he snapped back to attention and walked into class.

This time he was met with the stares of 30 freshman, each poised at attention, eager to learn, or impress. Grant couldn't really tell. All he could really tell was the built, blonde teacher standing in the front of the class was glaring at him.

"You're late."

"Sorry. I got lost."

"What's your name?"

"Grant Ward." The class was filled with whispers. Grant didn't care, it was the usual reaction when people realized who he was. Mr. Rogers straightened a bit and hardened his gaze.

"Well Mr. Ward, lets hope this is the first and only time you've caused a disruption in my class. I would hate to call down your father for a conference, after all he is a very busy man."

"It wont happen again." Grant confirmed.

"Good. Now take a seat and pull out a text book. We were just about to start." He gestured to a seat near the back and returned to writing on the board. Grant slunk to the back of the class and pulled out his textbook.

It wasn't long before Mr. Rogers launched into a lecture on the impact of the american's entering the world war. Grant found his mind wandering. All he could think of was the girl with the curls with the lovely name.

When Grant returned home that day he rushed out to the back yard. Skye had started her first day of 7th grade, and her first day of middle school without him. He wanted to know how she had managed. He also couldn't wait to tell Skye about his first day of high school.

She was waiting on her side of the gate, just as they had discussed. Grant quickly opened the gate and Skye pushed through. Her cheeks bright pink and her hands clenched into fists. She was clearly angry about something.

"I hate 7th grade!" She pushed past him and headed into the house. Grant quickly shut the gate and followed after the girl. She threw open the door and marched herself over to the fridge. She threw it open and grabbed one of the juice pouches the Wards bought especially for her. Grant followed her and made sure to close everything she opened.

Skye sat at the table and gave a huge huff before she took a big gulp from her juice pouch. Grant grabbed a glass of water for himself and sat next to her.

"What happened?"

"Liam happened!" The boy was only a year older than Skye but had been it twice as many homes as she had. After Skye had been fostered for 6 months, a personal record, she had returned back to the orphanage to find that Liam had grown 6 inches and had developed his own gang of younger boys from the home. Skye was convinced Liam had a vendetta against her after she unknowingly told the nuns that he was skipping school to go down to the park and skate. Grant thought it had something to do with the fact she continuously got picked to foster over him. With Grant at school, Liam wouldn't dare touch Skye, but now with Grant in high school, he was afraid of what exactly Liam would do.

"What did he do?" Skye gave another grunt of anger and slammed her pouch down on the table,

"Somehow he managed to forge a letter from the nuns telling all my teacher's that calling me Skye instead of Mary would be bad for my 'proper professional development.' And he got all his friends to follow me around calling me Poots. The whole day! Everyone was calling me Poots! It was horrible!" Grant could feel his own anger rising in his chest.

"You should talk to the nuns! Or one of the guidance counselors! They'll be able to do something." Skye's expression turned sour,

"They wouldn't believe me. Even if i thought it would work, it would be their word against mine. I'm just going to have to suck it up. It's only one year. I can deal with one year." The anger had dissipated and was replaced by determination. Grant reached out for her hand and drew comforting circles on the back with his thumb.

After a particularly long stay at a home when she was 10, Skye had cried for hours, and Grant had done that same action. To his surprise, it had calmed her down significantly. Now, whenever Skye was worked up, he would draw those circles on her hands. The tension in her shoulders dissipated and she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and shifted closer to Grant.

"How was your day?" she asked quietly, eyes still closed, "First day of high school. Must have been a new adventure." Grant thought about his wonderful first day, and meeting Raina Valentine. He opened his mouth to speak, but something stopped him. It didn't feel right to gush to Skye about his barely-even-there crush on the girl he met for a minute. Instead he said,

"It was good. I got lost on the way to class, but it worked out in the end. But overall, it wasn't bad." Skye hummed in contentment,

"That sounds great. I'm glad you had a great first day." Skye slowly opened her eyes and looked over at the clock. She groaned and buried her head in her arms. "I have to start my math homework." She turned her head so that she could see Grant through her hair, "Who the heck gives homework the first day of school?" Grant chuckled,

"It get's way worse. Believe me." Skye gave another groan.

As they walked back to the gate, Grant assured Skye that she could deal with Liam,

"But you should still talk to someone about him." Skye pursed her lips and scrunched her nose in annoyance,

"Whatever. Liam I can handle. Math homework, not so much. " Regardless she gave him a hug and thanked him for his concern, before disappearing through the gate. With the telltale creak of the door, he turned back inside and set to work on his math.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, its another short chapter, but now that I have access to wifi, i should be able to update more frequently. For anybody that watches the Fosters, you may recognize the name Liam for the asshole foster brother, so that's where I get my inspiration from. The next chapter will be less conversation, more story telling.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
> 
> Please let me know if there are any mistakes so I may correct them.
> 
> Please rate and review and LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK
> 
> -Alex


	4. Age 15

Grant was 15 when Skye got adopted.

As the year continued Grant began to caught up in the hype of high school. After some convincing from Lance he tried out, and made the baseball team. Practices were every day after school, so his meetings with Skye were rescheduled to the weekends. Following the discovery that Raina was in the drama club, Grant did not hesitate to sign up. Because meetings and practices were during lunch, Grant began to see less and less of Bobbi and Lance, and more of Raina and her drama friends, John Garrett and Ian Quinn.

John was a senior, and the president of the drama club. Grant heard stories from Lance and Bobbi that John had been expelled at one school for selling drugs, and had been in juvie for breaking into a drugstore. Ian was a sophomore like Raina and was practically a genius. Bobbi told Grant that Quinn wasn't actually that smart, and that he actually copied off other people in all his classes. Regardless, Ian was an officer in the robotics club, and nobody seemed to mind.

When Raina first introduced Grant to Ian and John, there was an unfamiliar feeling in his chest. He didn't like how close they were to Raina, and he especially didn't like the suggestive jokes Ian made towards Raina. It wasn't until he witnessed firsthand John trying to seduce Victoria Hand, another senior, and Ian hitting on all the girls in drama, that the uncomfortable feeling went away.

With drama rehearsals, and baseball practice and the stress of school, Grant gradually drifted away from his friends and Skye. It was slow at first. He would still find time during school to talk to Lance, update him on his progress on the team. He would find Bobbi wandering the hall sometimes during class, just chilling by the fountains. Even on the weekends he set aside at least an hour each day to talk and play with Skye.

Then, one day his sophomore year, Raina kissed him.

They were standing backstage during dress rehearsals watching the scene go on. Raina had her gaze focused on the stage, and Grant was focused on her. He admired the way the stage lights reflected off her curls and the intense gaze she reserved for when she was studying the scene. The lights faded as the scene ended and Raina turned her attention to Grant. He broke his gaze and blushed, hoping she hadn't noticed the way he was looking at her. He jumped when he felt Raina grab his hand gingerly. He looked back at her and saw a little twinkle in her eye. Before he had time to react, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

Grant had never kissed a girl before, so he didn't really know what to expect. Her lips were warm and gentle and he could smell her cherry lip gloss. Before he had time to register what was going on, it was over. Raina pulled back and looked at him with expectant eyes. He just stood there stupidly. Raina giggled at his reaction and leaned in again for another kiss.

Following the start of his relationship with Raina, Grant began to dedicate more time to the older girl and her friends. His weekend began to fill with parties and dates and excursions. Skye seemed supportive of his relationship when he first told her. He had never actually gotten around to telling her about his crush, so she was surprised initially but congratulated him anyways.

Skye didn't seem to have any more issues at school, at least none that she was telling Grant. With his increased social life and workload, he didn't have time to dig deeper into Skye's school life. He wasn't particularly worried, as Liam had moved to high school and Grant called in a few favors from Lance and Bobbi in terms of enacting revenge on the boy. As it was, he was already finding himself postponing meeting with Skye more and more frequently in an effort to spend more time with Raina. At one point, they had gone a solid 2 months without seeing each other.

So when Grant got home late one night, he was surprised when he saw a shadow in the backyard. He considered calling out for his parents when the shadow stepped closer to the light and he recognized it to be Skye. She was dressed in jeans and a jacket, the hood pulled over her face, and hands shoved in her pockets. Concerned, Grant opened the door and let her in. She went to the fridge, grabbed a juice pouch, and settled in the chair. Grant joined her, concern etched on his features,

"Skye. What are you doing here so late? The nuns will be worried about you." Skye didn't seem to care. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath, Grant thought he could detect a small smile on the girls lips,

"They're taking me away." Panic surged through Grant's system,

"Who's taking you away? To where?" Skye seemed to sense his panic and reached out a hand. She turned to look at him, and Grant saw the unmistakable smile on her face,

"The Hansons. They're adopting me." Grant's concern turned into confusion. Who were the Hansons? Skye saw the expression and quickly explained, "Harry and Jenny Hanson, they're this really lovely couple from the next town over. They've been visiting me for a few weeks now. I meant to tell you, but your mom kept saying you were out. They came today and signed the adoption papers. I leave tomorrow." Intense emotion flooded through Grant. It was a mix between shock, sadness and confusion. Surely it hadn't been that long since they had talked.

"Why are you leaving so soon? You still have to finish the year! You can't just leave halfway through!" Grant had planned a whole summer of hanging out with his old friends and preparing Skye for high school. She couldn't just leave on such short notice. Skye shrugged and returned her gaze to her juice pouch.

"They were really eager. Apparently they had trouble before and just wanted to expedite the process." She returned her focus back on Grant, "I wanted to see you before I left. After lights out, I snuck out and waited here till you got home. I couldn't leave without saying goodbye." Sadness filled his heart at Skye's words. They both stood and Grant enveloped the girl in a big bear hug. Skye returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head on his chest. With moving the sets and baseball training, Grant had developed quiet a bit of muscle. It was this muscle the Skye laid her head on.

They stayed in each others arms for a few minutes. Grant felt as though he was reliving the past 7 years in the few moments he was hugging the girl. When they finally broke apart, he noticed the girl wiping her eyes, and found a wet spot where her face had just been.

"I told your family goodbye earlier. Thomas almost started crying." She laughed at the memory. Grant smiled at the thought,

"I told you. You're loved." Skye returned the smile and nodded,

"Thank you."

They walked in silence to the gate, and Skye pecked Grant on the cheek as they said their final goodbye's. He watched as the girl slipped through the gate one last time and he listened intently for the creak of the door. When the door creaked shut, a single tear rolled down his cheek, as he imagined his best friend leaving forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Grant gets a girl friend and Skye gets adopted. Is this the end for the duo? Lets hope not.
> 
> Let me know what you think.
> 
> Reviews always make me a very happy child.
> 
> What do you think is going to happen?
> 
> LET ME KNOW!
> 
> -Alex


	5. Age 17 - Part 1

Grant was 17 when he saw Skye again.

Entering his senior year, the world was at Grant's fingertips. He had the best girlfriend, he was the first in line to be captain of football team (baseball was too much of a pansy sport for him anyways) and he already got tentative offers to the best schools in the country. Life was a breeze, that is, until it all came tumbling down.

It was a Friday night, and he was at a party. No surprise, seeing as since sophomore year he's been involved with the same crowd. He walked through the crowds of party goers' searching over their heads. The summer between sophomore and junior year he grew a foot and a half. His mother had complained that they needed to buy him all new clothes. The increase in muscle from sports also didn't mesh well with his old clothes. Consequently, he was a good head taller than the rest of the party goers, and often had to push people out of the way to get through.

Raina had texted him an hour ago, telling him that she had arrived, and that she would meet him outside by the pool. When she didn't show up, he got worried and went looking for her.

The party had doubled in size from the time he had arrived. The bass made the room vibrate and the strobe lights did little in the way of showing Grant a clear path through. All around him there were kids jumping and gyrating to the music. He held back a grunt of disgust when he went past 2 heavily intoxicated teens making out in the middle of the dance floor. The girl had her legs wrapped around the guys torso and Grant could visibly see the the boy getting excited in his jeans. He considered throwing a condom their way, before pushing on.

Grant finally escaped the dance floor and found himself in the living room. The scene seemed no different, drunk, horny teens on top of each other with no apparent care in the world. He gave a quick sweep of the room, searching for the black beautiful curls of his girlfriend. He found none. He was about to walk out of the room when a flash of brown hair caught his eye. His eye's widened and his heart beat faster when he recognized the person to whom the hair belonged.

"Skye?" The girl turned at her name, her eyes widened and a wide smile appeared on her face. She jumped off the couch where she sat and ran to him. She threw her arms around him and squeezed.

"Grant! Oh my god what are you doing here?" Grant returned the hug.

"I could ask you the same thing! I thought you lived a town over, with the Hansons?" Skye stepped back, and Grant thought he could see a frown form on Skye's face. He didn't get the chance to study it, as she quickly returned to smiling,

"Still do! But Miles told me about this party, and I just couldn't say no!"

"Miles?" Skye gestured to the boy still sitting next to where she had sat. Grant looked over at the boy. He seemed a little older than Skye, probably a junior. Based off his goofy smile and his half-hearted wave, he was either high or drunk, probably both.

"My boyfriend." Grant's felt a pang of doubt, but didn't let it show. He wanted Skye to know how happy he was for her, "We started dating a couple month's ago." Grant looked over at the boy again. He looked a bit frustrated.

"Skye, babe, who is that?" Skye looked back at him,

"Just a friend Miles!" The boy groaned and shifted from his position on the couch,

"Babe, can you get me another beer?" Grant thought he saw Skye stiffen, but the smile never left her face.

"Sure thing!" She turned back to Grant and gave him a sad look, "Well I guess I'll see you around."

"Ya I guess." He watched Skye walk away and disappear into the kitchen. He shot Miles another doubtful look before continuing the search for Raina.

He finally found her at the foot of the staircase. She seemed a little flushed, but overall still gorgeous. He leaned over and pecked a kiss to her her cheek, and she gave him a smile.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere." Raina shrugged,

"I got caught up talking to Garret. He wanted to know about what school I'm going to." Grant smiled and wrapped his arm around his girlfriends waist, leading her through the crowd,

"Well that's understandable, I'm sure you went on and on about your scholarship to Stanford and all the research you'll be doing." He leaned down and brushed his nose against her cheek. Raina blushed and turned her head away. Even after a year and a half together, Raina still got embarrassed by PDA. Grant lead her towards the now empty couch and then went to go get them drinks.

He was in the middle of pouring the drinks when he heard angry shouts coming from outside. His curiosity got the best of him and he wandered outside. A crowd had already begun gathering.

"You stupid bitch. Don't you think I saw you making eyes at the guy over there? I'm not blind!" Grant recognized Mile's voice. He moved in closer to see what was going on.

"I don't know what you thought you saw, but I definitely was not 'making eyes.'" His heart gave a jump when he recognized Skye's soft voice. He moved through the crowd with renewed vigor. When he finally pushed through the crowd he did not like what he saw. Miles was standing next to the pool fists clenched and chest heaving with anger. Skye stood in front of Miles, arms crossed and looking decidedly unimpressed with the whole situation.

"I know what I saw."

"You didn't see jack shit, because nothing happened." Mile's hand was moving before anybody could so anything. Next thing anyone knew, Skye was on the floor, her cheek bright red. Rage burned in Wards chest. He ran forward and stepped infront of Skye.

"Don't you fucking touch her." Miles didn't seem to fazed by Grant's build or anger. He just laughed,

"Who is this? Another one of your boyfriends? Are you fucking him too, whore?" Grant didn't even realize what he was doing until Miles was bent over, crying out and holding his nose.

"Grant! Stop!" Grant ignored Skye's pleads. He knelt down and looked Miles in the eyes,

"Call her a whore again. I dare you." Mile's eyes narrowed and he removed his hands from his bleeding, possibly broken nose. He glanced at Skye then at Ward before speaking again,

"You won't get away with this slut. Big boss man won't be here to protect you all the time." In one fell move, Grant lifted the scrawny boy off the ground and brought him to the edge of the pool.

"Grant!" Grant felt small arms grab at him from behind, but rage coursed through his veins. He mustered all his strength and tossed the boy into the pool. Grant didn't even look to see if the boy resurfaced. He turned, focusing his attention on Skye.

She had gotten up from the floor and was glaring at him. There was a red welt on her cheek from where Miles hit her.

"Are you okay? You're going to need ice for your face." He reached out to asses the damage but Skye slapped his hand away, fury in her face. "What?"

"What the fuck was that Grant?" Grant drew back, confused,

"I was helping you! He was hurting you!"

"I can take care of myself!" Venom entered her voice, "I've been doing it for years, no thanks to you!" Grant took an involuntary step back,

"I was protecting you!" Skye scoffed,

"Protecting me? You're not my brother, you're not my boyfriend. You're not even my friend!" Skye's words felt like a slap to the face,

"But I am your friend?"

"Really? Some friend. You don't talk to me for months when you get a girlfriend, and then when I leave, you don't even call to check up on me! And now, 2 years later, you think you can just step up and be the knight in shining armor?" Grant stood speechless. He didn't know where all this anger came from. "You leave me the hell alone Grant Ward." Skye gave a final huff of anger and stormed through the crowd.

Grant watched her disappear through the crowd. He suddenly became very self conscious of the crowd that surrounded him. They had gone silent while Skye yelled at him. Many had their phones out, no doubt recording the whole incident. He caught sight of Raina's black, beautiful curls. He moved toward her but she shook her head and turned to disappear in the crowd.

Grant was left alone in the middle of crowd, wondering what the hell had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit. Shit just went down!
> 
> You guys seriously are rooting for Skye and Ward to get back together.
> 
> I feel as though I should clarify, there is no SHIELD in this universe, but many of the characters will make appearances
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Let me know of any mistakes so I may correct them.
> 
> REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW I love getting your reviews.
> 
> Let me know what you think will happen!
> 
> -Alex


	6. Age 17 - Part 2

Grant entered the house and slammed the door. His parents were probably asleep but at this point he didn't care. He still didn't understand what went wrong. He tried to stand up for Skye and got yelled for it and then Raina wasn't returning his texts. She wasn't typically the type to get jealous. He gave a frustrated sigh and went to the kitchen, searching for some water to combat the alcohol in his system. He nearly yelled when he saw a flash of movement in the backyard.

For a moment he hoped it was Skye, returning to apologize for her outburst, but instead he was met with the grinning face of John Garrett. Grant tried to hide his disappointment when he slid open the door, but Garrett was perceptive.

"Disappointed its me?" he smirked, "Did you think it was your girl? Skye?" Grant was not surprised Garrett knew he was expecting Skye, Raina had mentioned that he was at the party, besides, John had a habit of knowing everything anyways.

John made himself comfortable, grabbing a glass and pouring himself some scotch from his flask.

"What are you doing here John? You're supposed to be in Miami." Garrett took a sip from his scotch before responding,

"I'm here on business kid, and I need your help." Grant crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow,

"Why me?" Garrett feigned a look of shock,

"Well isn't it obvious! After the night you've had I thought you would need something to take your mind off your woman troubles. Besides, you've gotten built since I last saw you." He eyed Grant's toned muscles, "and I need someone intimidating." Grant briefly wondered what Garrett was doing that he needed intimidation. When he didn't respond, Garrett clapped his hands with glee,

"I'll take that as a yes! Now go change into something less high school and we'll get going." Grant still wasn't entirely sure about what John had in mind but he went to change anyways.

An hour later Grant found himself standing in a dingy room trying to look intimidating. Before they had walked into the run down building Garrett had handed Grant a gun. When he saw Grant's panicked look, he laughed and assured him that it was filled with duds and for intimidation purposes only. He had been instructed to stay behind Garrett and make sure the deal went off without a hitch. What type of deal, Grant wasn't sure, but he trusted John to know what he was doing.

They had only been waiting for a few minutes when the door to the room opened and an older man stepped in. His grey hair was gelled back and his blue eyes were magnified by his wire glasses. His eyes narrowed when he spotted Grant.

"The deal was to come alone, John." Garrett shrugged,

"Don't mind him, he's just here for assurance. Did you bring what I asked?" The older man nodded and lifted the briefcase in his hand. He set it down on the table.

"Did you bring the money?" John leaned down and lifted up a black bag onto the table. The old man nodded at the bag and John opened the zipper a bit to verify that there was indeed money in the bag. Upon confirming the money the older man slid the briefcase over and made a grab for the black bag, but John pulled it away at the last minute.

"Hold on a second. I need to verify that there is indeed product in that briefcase." The older man froze. Grant thought he could see the man physically begin to sweat. He reached slowly towards the clasps. Garrett was so focused on the briefcase he didn't notice the other man's hand reaching behind his back. Grant did. He saw a flash of silver and before he knew what he was doing he gave a shout and raised his gun. He had effectively gained the attention of both men. John looked confused for a moment before he followed Grant's gaze and locked his eyes on the other man's hand, frozen an inch away from his waist belt. Without hesitation, Garrett reached over and pulled out the gun from the other man's pants.

"A gun? Really? Is this what our partnership has been reduced to Doctor Whitehall?" The doctor raised his hands in surrender and took a step back.

"Like you said. It's assurance." Garrett ignored the doctor and reached for the briefcase. He snapped it open and gave a big hearty laugh,

"Next time you try to kill me, you may want to reconsider actually bringing the product." He snapped the briefcase shut and dragged it off the table, "Now it's a win for me and a lose for you." The doctor simply smirked,

"That's what you think." Grant had a moment to process what the doctor had said before the door was kicked open and shots rang out. Grant ducked behind the table and shielded his head. Bullets whizzed by and there was a great deal of shouting. He closed his eyes and waiting for the madness to be over.

It felt like ages before the shoots abruptly stopped. Grant waited a moment before peeking his head over the table. The room resembled a war zone, bullet holes littered the walls and there were broken pieces of furniture all over the place. Grant could see a hunched figure on the floor. He scrambled over to the figure and breathed a sigh of relief when it was somebody he didn't recognize. He could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance, getting closer. He didn't have time to look for Garrett, he had to get out of there before the cops showed up.

Grant gripped the fake gun Garrett had given him and ran out the door. He could barely hear over the roar of the blood rushing through his ears, but he heard something move on his left and he turned towards the sound. In the poorly lit hall, a dark figure was approaching, fast. Grant lifted the gun in warning, the figure didn't even hesitate. Fear took over and all rational thought left Grant's head as he pulled the trigger to the gun. He was hoping the sound would scare off the figure, but what happened next surprised him.

The figure dropped to the floor.

Grant ran over to the body and gasped in horror. It was Garrett. Grant's eyes trailed from the man's glassy eyes to the rest of his body. The man looked relatively unharmed, except for a single bullet-hole in his torso. Realization hit Grant like a freight train. John had lied about the dud bullets. The gun had been loaded with real, deadly bullets, and Grant had just shot him. The sound of sirens had grown louder. The police had no doubt already arrived.

Grant didn't care. Everything felt numb. He had just shot someone. He barely registered the shouts of the police officers as they arrived on the scene. He didn't feel any pain as they tackled him and forced his face on the ground. The cold steel of the handcuffs on his wrist felt like nothing. All the commotion around him felt like nothing more than a whisper.

He remained in his dreamy state until they reached the precinct. While they booked him, he began to feel sick, and once they closed the cell doors behind him, he ran to the dingy toilet in the back and threw up. He wasn't sure if it was due to the alcohol from earlier, or the whole shooting situation, but he continued until there was nothing left in his stomach. Once Grant was sure he was through he wiped his mouth and sat on the cool floor.

All the adrenaline from earlier had vanished, and Grant was exhausted. He didn't have the energy to process the events of the day. When it came time for Grant to get his one call he didn't hesitate to dial the number that had been in his head all night. The phone rang twice before someone answered the phone,

"Hello?" came the sleepy voice,

"Skye?"

"Grant?" Skye no longer sounded like she had just woken up. She sounded pissed.

"Don't hang up. I need your help." Skye scoffed,

"Really? You need my help. I thought it was the other way around." Grant couldn't find the energy to contemplate her tone,

"I'm in lock-up right now and I need you to call my parents to come get me." Grant could hear Skye shifting on the other end of the line. That sure got her attention.

"What?"

"I don't have much time. I need you to call my mom and tell her she needs to pick me up."

"Why did you call me and not your house?" Grant sighed,

"They track the calls. Given the circumstances, and with my dad, it would look bad if I called the house. And you're the only one I trust to keep this on the down low." Skye hummed in understanding,

"I get it. It would be a field day with the press if they found out the son of the Senator was in lock-up." The phone beeped twice, signaling the call was coming to an end.

"Thank you Skye. I owe you."

"That's a given."

Grant wanted to say more, but the phone beeped once and he was met with a dial tone. He sighed and allowed himself to be led back to the holding cell.

It was another hour before the guard came back for Grant. He led the boy out to the waiting room where he was met with the sight of his father. Senator Ward was dressed in jeans and a button down, but it didn't make him appear any less intimidating and official. Grant kept his eyes on the floor the whole way to the car and kept his gaze outside the window of the car the whole way home. His father didn't speak a word.

When they reached the house, he was sent straight to his room. He could hear his mother and father talking quietly downstairs. He considered eavesdropping, but his bed appeared too inviting. Too tired to change into his pajamas, he crawled under his sheets and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEFORE YOU GET MAD THAT THERE WAS BARELY ANY SKYE IN THIS CHAPTER BE PATIENT THERE IS A POINT TO ALL THIS
> 
> So a lot happened in this chapter. But keep in mind. ITS 1:30 AM.
> 
> I'm going to reiterate, there is a point to all this. Time will progress eventually but there will be one more chapter for age 17.
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think. Please be nice.
> 
> review review review.
> 
> -Alex


	7. Age 17 - Part 3

When Grant woke the next morning, his head was pounding and his mouth was dry. He rolled out of bed with a groan and made his way to the bathroom, still half asleep. By habit, he stumbled into the bathroom, turned on the water of the faucet and splashed his face with the cool water. The sudden change in temperature was enough to wake him from his hungover-sleep-daze.

The events of the last night flooded back into his head and Grant gave a small gasp. The party, the fight with Skye, Garrett and his deal-shooting Garrett. Grant almost collapsed on the floor of the bathroom. He had shot Garrett. The images flashed in his head, John running toward him, the flash of the gun, and then the pool of blood collecting under the man.

Grant could hear movement downstairs, his parents no doubt. His blood ran cold as he thought back to his father's face when he bailed him out. He had never seen him look so passive. It was as though the Senator was saving all his anger for the home. Grant turned off the faucet and looked up at his reflection in the mirror. He eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and his skin very pale. He could've passed as Casper the friendly ghost.

Outside the door, he heard shuffling outside the door and a tender knock on the bathroom door,

"Grant?" his mother's voice came through the door, "When you're done in there, your father requests your presence downstairs." She paused for a moment, waiting for Grant's response. When she got none, he heard her sigh and make her way back down the stairs, her heels clacking on the wooden steps.

He waited for the steps to die away before he begins to fix his appearance, patting out the wrinkles in his pajama shirt, and patting down his hair. Looking over himself one last time, he gave a sigh and opened the door. He trudged downstairs and into the kitchen. It was early Saturday morning but both his parents were dressed professional, his mother was in a pencil skirt and suit jacket, leaning over the stove grilling up some pancakes, while his father, dressed as though he was going into the office, sat at the table looking over when appeared to be some official documents.

They both looked up when he stepped into the room. His mother switched off the stove, and his father placed the files on the table. The older man gestured for Grant to have a seat. The boy complied and sat in the chair across from his father. He heard his mother shift behind him in the kitchen. Senator Ward looked at his son, his expression unreadable.

"Your mother and I get a call in the middle of the night from an unknown number, to be told that your in lock-up and need to be bailed out. Then when I talk to Officer Johnson I'm told that you were found at the scene of a crime. Not only with alcohol in your system, but a gun and your friend John Garrett shot in the gut." While he talks, the Senators eyes never cease their cold glare. If looks could kill, Grant thought briefly, "Now I'm glad you had enough sense to call Skye instead of the house. If the press got a hold of this-" The Senator closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down, "Regardless, the police want to speak to you about the events, so they can decide whether to press charges." Grant shifted awkwardly in his chair, his father didn't seem to notice, "But before you go around incriminating yourself, I need to hear what happened last night."

The last thing Grant wanted to do was relive the events from the last night, but the look that his father gave told him that it was not up for discussion. He didn't know where to start. At least, he didn't know whether he wanted to start with Skye or Garrett at the house. He was still ashamed of his fight with Skye, so instead he started with when he got home.

"I got home after a party and John was waiting for me when I get home..." As Grant recounted the events his mother drifted in from the kitchen and took a seat next to her husband, setting down a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. The Senator's face remained passive through the whole story. When Grant got to the part of Garrett running toward him, his mother gave an audible gasp. Senator Ward reached out and placed a comforting hand on hers as Grant finished his story. When he finally finished, it was a minute before anybody spoke. Silence filled the space, and Grant fought the urge to start shaking his leg in anxiety.

Senator Ward sighed and took a sip of the coffee,

"We can work with this." Mrs. Ward looked at her husband, eyebrows arched,

"How so, dear?"

"Based off what Grant is telling us, he was misled about the gun being loaded, and he didn't intend to shoot Garrett. Even if he did, it was an unfamiliar figure approaching him following a fire fight and he feared for his life." Grant could feel himself relax, just a bit, "Honey, please get the car ready to go to the station. We'll get this all cleared up right now." Grant took this as his cue to go upstairs and change into appropriate clothing.

30 minutes later Grant found himself sitting in an interrogation room with his father, staring down the detective in charge of the interrogation. The investigator, Detective Seeley, was an acquaintance of Senator Ward, and as a result he gave the senator an apologetic look as he began the interrogation,

"Grant, you are aware of why you are here?"

"Yes sir." Detective Seeley looked over his files once more,

"You were found in an abandoned building, following numerous reports of gunfire, with alcohol in your system, a gun and a man with a bullet in his gut from said gun." He closed his files and crossed his arms, looking straight at the boy, "Tell me, Grant, what happened? Help me put the pieces of the puzzle together."

Grant began his story again, glossing over the previous fight with Skye. The doubtful look on Detective Seeley's face never left. When Grant finished, he leaned forward,

"You mean to tell me, you couldn't tell the difference between a real, loaded, gun and a gun filled with dud bullets?"

His father interrupted,

"He doesn't exactly have all the much experience with guns." Seeley clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair,

"Senator Ward, do you know the man that Grant shot?"

"Yes. John Garrett, he's a friend of Grant."

"Were you aware of his numerous arrests relating to the possession and distribution of prescription drugs, specifically to minors?" The senator didn't flinch. Detective Seeley pulled out a packet of papers and slid them over to the older man. He skimmed through them casually, as though disinterested,

"What does this have to do with whether or not he knows the difference between a loaded gun?" The detective raised his arms in mock surrender,

"Nothing at the moment. But until Mr. Garrett comes out of surgery and wakes up, we have no way of corroborating your sons story." Anger flashed in the senators face,

"Even if he knew the gun was loaded, he feared for his life, he shot in self defense."

"Again, we cannot confirm your sons story until Mr. Garrett wakes up." Senator Ward stood up suddenly, and Grant followed suit,

"Well you've got his side of the events, and I do not appreciate the assumption that my son would knowingly try to shoot one of his friends. So unless you're going to charge my son with something, were done here." They walked out of the room and left the precinct without another word. The car ride home was silent as well and when they arrived home, Grant excused himself back up to his room.

He checked his phone for the 4th time. He had yet to receive a text from Raina, and he doubted she would answer his calls. He tried anyways. The phone rang twice before he heard the click of the phone and Raina's soft silky voice,

"Hello?"

"Raina! You answered! Thank god!"

"Grant, hey, li-"

"There's so much I need to tell you, but first I need to apologize for last night. I saw an old friend in trouble and I-"

"Grant." Raina's voice was stern and steady, Grant felt dread begin to gather in his chest. He had never heard her use that tone with him, "I've had this feeling, and I feel it's only right that I be honest with you."Grant remained silent, the headache from earlier began to return, "Since graduation, there's been a lot to think about, and with me going so far away, it would be difficult to maintain a relationship-"

"You're breaking up with me?" Grant couldn't stop himself from interrupting. He had never been in such a situation before. Raina had been his only girlfriend. He didn't have any experience with this, and he didn't know how he should react.

"I didn't want to! In fact, I was going to consider the long distance thing. But then last night, you got drunk and beat up on that sophomore, over another girl no less." He heard a sigh on the other end of the phone, "It just reminded me, that you're still in high school, just an immature boy. I can't have you dragging behind me."

"Dragging behind you? That's what you're afraid of? Me being an anchor? I'm not up to your Stanford standards?"

"No, no, no. Grant, you're taking this the wrong way. I'm going to be a thousand miles away. You still have all of senior year to enjoy yourself and have fun. It would be better for the both of us if we focused on socializing with people closer to our respective interests. You with your football buddies, and I with my Stanford peers."

Grant didn't respond. He wanted to hear the words come out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry Grant. We can still be friends. This doesn't mean that we should lose contact." Still no response, "Grant? Are you still there?"

"Yea. I'm here. Friends. Ya sure." There was a commotion on the other end of the phone,

"I've got to go Grant. We'll keep in touch, ya?" Grant didn't respond. He just hung up the call. He sat on his bed and stared at the wall for a long while. Suddenly a flash of anger bubbled up in his chest, and his phone went flying across the room. He flinched when he heard the crack of the glass as it hit the opposite wall. He buried his head in his hands and gave a groan of frustration. He kicked off his shoes and climbed back into his sheets. He hoped that sleep would allow him to forget everything.

"Grant, honey?" Grant moaned and turned his face closer to the pillow, he wanted to finish his wonderful dream,

"Grant. There's some news. Its about John." Grant shot up off the pillow, the drowsiness from earlier evaporated. His mother's face was impassive, as though she was trying to keep from spoiling the surprise.

"What is it? Is he okay?" His mother nodded and gave a glint of smile,

"He's alive, and he's awake and talking. Your father went the hospital with the detectives to get his statement. I just got a call from him." She paused and allowed for a relieved smile to break over her face, "He's cooperating, and so far John's story has lined up with your own. Including misleading you about the gun. The police have decided not to press charges." Grant felt a giant weight lift off his chest. John was alive, and he was corroborating his story. "They may need you as a witness against John for his involvement but you're in the clear! Your father is working on getting the arrest record cleared, but now we can put this whole situation behind us." She reached out and wrapped her son in a hug. Grant returned the hug.

His mother pulled away and gave a contented sigh,

"I have to go make lunch, Thomas was asking for some food." She stood and headed for the door. She turned as an after thought and added, "Give Skye my regards. It was nice hearing her voice after such a long time. Maybe under different circumstances we could've caught up, but I appreciate that she called." Grant nodded and she headed out the door. He could've sworn he heard her mumble something about missing Skye as she went downstairs.

Grant went to go pick up the phone from where he threw it. The damage wasn't as bad as he initially thought. There was a small crack on the top left of the screen, but it still looked relatively unharmed. Thank god for good phone cases. He pressed the home button and flinched at he background photo of himself and Raina at the beach. He typed in his code and scrolled down his contact list till he found Skye's name. He briefly considered dialing the phone, but he flashed back to the anger that was in Skye's eyes at the party and decided otherwise.

G: Thank you. For last night. It means a lot.

Grant was surprised when he got a response almost immediately,

S: You're Welcome.

Grant tried again,

G: My mom said it was good to hear your voice. I think she misses you.

Again, an immediate response,

S: I miss her too.

Grant could tell that Skye was trying her best to avoid any type of conversation, but he was not one to give up lightly.

G: You looked good yesterday.

S: Thanks.

G: Any word on Miles?

No response. Grant gave his final attempt.

G: I'm sorry.

G: I was surprised to see you after so long, and seeing you with a guy like Miles, it set me off.

G: I was wrong to assume that after so long, I had the right to step in like that.

G: I'm sorry for losing touch and not keeping up with you. I have no excuse.

It was several minutes before there was any response. Grant was just about to give up on the conversation when his phone dinged,

S: I forgive you.

Grant gave a sigh of relief, and his phone pinged again,

S: I may have overreacted a bit. Seeing you again, and then the whole thing with Miles.

S: You also look good, Mister 'I'm a football star'

S: What you did to Miles...When did you get so bad ass?

Grant smiled at the barrage of texts,

G: So...

S: So...

G: Do you think that maybe, we could be friends again?

The response was immediate.

S: Definitely

G: I missed you

S: I missed you too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it all works out in the end! Raina and Grant are done, Grant and Skye are friends again, Grant is not going to Jail wooohoo
> 
> Now we can start time jumping again!
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> I'm always looking for suggestions on how to continue!
> 
> Should I start to include the rest of the team?
> 
> Please send me reviews!
> 
> -Alex


	8. Age 20

Grant is 20 when he first starts to realize his feelings towards Skye (and vehemently denies it)

Keeping with his word, Grant had stayed in touch with Skye, spending his last summer before college hanging out and catching up. Skye told him of her initial troubles with her adoptive parents and the whole new town dynamic, while Grant filled her in on all that had happened to the orphanage and their move to a larger plot of land across town.

His first year on his own was tough, but keeping in contact with his mother and Skye made him a little less home sick. The Wards had invited Skye over for Thanksgiving, and the Hansons extended an invitation to Grant for Christmas Day, which he gladly accepted. The following summer, Grant got a job at the local movie theater, sometimes sneaking Skye into R rated movies; the ones with profanity, not nudity and violence (he wasn't that much of a rule breaker.) When August rolled around and he had to return to school, Skye made sure to pack him enough junk to last the whole drive. He had made a mental note not to mention the pile of junk to his coach.

Sophomore year Grant had gotten an internship with his combat sciences professor, this combined with an increased practice schedule made it difficult for Grant to return home. He spent his Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks researching different combat techniques of different cultures while doing drills and laps in the indoor gym. Although he missed Christmas, his family made sure that he still received gifts. A week after new years, his RA dropped off several boxes and gave him a wink.

In all he got 5 presents. His mother had sent him a container of christmas cookies (still tasted fresh) as well as a sweater with his name ironed on in the back and and pack of new socks (he was embarrassed that his mother knew that he had been using the same 2 pairs for 2 weeks.) Skye had sent him a WELCOME TO PAWNEE poster that she had no doubt spent some time searching for on the internet. And finally Lance and Bobbi had sent him a couple coffee mugs. One had grumpy cat plastered on the side with the caption "Don't speak till this is empty. Twice." and the other was light blue with clouds painted near the rim. Putting away his gifts (and sticking the pawnee poster above his bed) he made sure to send thank you texts to everyone. He was looking forward to seeing his family and Skye during spring break. So when his coach scheduled 2 games during the spring break, Grant sufficiently upset. Skye didn't seem too perturbed, their spring breaks didn't coincide anyways, so she would have been in school regardless. Instead, Skye made him promise to be home for her graduation party, and promise he did.

The minute he finished his last final exam, Grant was packed and ready, on his way back home. 10 hours later, he's arrived at his parent's doorstep dropping off some boxes before he makes his way to the Hansons. The party had just begun, and judging by the swarm of cars in the lawn and driveway, Grant was the last to arrive. He paused at the door for a moment, taking a second to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt and lay his hair flat before knocking. The door opened almost immediately and a petite woman with short brown hair stood at the entrance. She looked at him up and down and her eyes widened when she spotted the wrapped gift tucked under his arm,

"You're here for Skye's graduation?" Grant tried not to look surprised at the British accent that came out of the girls mouth,

"Ya. I'm an old friend." The girl didn't seem convinced, she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow,

"And you are?"

"Grant. Grant Ward?" Grant saw the flash of recognition in the girls eyes, but she didn't move to let him in. Instead she leaned in a bit closer,

"You're the famous Grant Ward? You don't look like the proper son of a senator, nor the boy who uses chairs to look over fences." Grant gave her a confused look but before he could answer another voice came from inside the house,

"Jemma? Whose at the door?" A boy joined the girl, Jemma, at the door. He looked at Jemma then at Grant in the door, "Whose this?" Great. Another person with an accent.

"He say's he's Grant Ward, but I'm having trouble believing it." The boy looked him over as well and shrugged his shoulders,

"Want me to get Skye?" Jemma and Grant spoke at the same time,

"Yes, please." The boy nodded and turned back to the house. In the meantime, Grant and Jemma stood at the door. Grant shuffled his feet awkwardly while Jemma continued to study him. She spoke again,

"Did you drive all the way here from school?" Grant nodded,

"I stopped off at my parents first then straight here." She gave a hmph and they continued in silence. It felt like ages before Grant could hear someone coming up behind Jemma. There was a gasp and then a slash of long brown hair and Grant felt someone tumble into him,

"Grant!" He wrapped his arms around the girl and gave her a squeeze, he heard the boy whisper to Jemma behind Skye,

"I guess that answers that." Skye released him and took a step backk, grin on her face,

"You made it! Your mom wasn't sure what with final exams and stuff." Grant returned the smile,

"Finals be damned I would've skipped em if I wasn't confident that I'd make it in time." Jemma scoffed and Skye giggled. She turned around and gestured to the couple behind her,

"Grant, this is Fitz and Simmons."

"Fitz" the boy clarified, pointing to himself and then pointing to the girl, "Jemma Simmons." The girl smiled and nodded extending a hand which Grant took and shook.

"They're my friends from school. They were co-valedictorians for graduation. Basically geniuses." she then turned to her friends and gestured to Grant, "As you've probably gathered, this is Grant, he's an old friend. Knew me way back in my days at the orphanage." Without missing a beat she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house, "C'mon you've got to meet everybody."

They made their way through the living room first and Skye introduced each one in turn. Some faces were familiar from previous interactions, but others were completely new. There was Lincoln Campbell, The Koeing Brothers, as well as a couple of familiar faces from the orphanage. Grant was glad to see so many people Skye considered friends. They stepped outside and Grant went to say hello to the Hansons while Skye went searching for someone named Tripp. He engaged in conversation with Mr Hanson, telling him about school and his studies. Mr Hanson went to go grab himself and Grant a drink,

"I'm glad that you could make it today. I know Skye was really looking forward to it." Grant nodded,

"After missing christmas and spring break, I couldn't miss this too." Mr. Hanson took a sip of his drink and looked out at the group of kids,

"You know Jenny and I had a bet going." Grant raised an eyebrow, "After how long you've known Skye and how close you were, Jenny thought it was a matter of time before you two started something, you know, romantic." Grant nearly choked on his drink. He shook his head quickly,

"Sir, I mean me and Skye have been friends for a while, but she's always been just that, a friend."

"Don't you think I know that son?" He smiled and clapped Grant hard on the back, "Jenny has always been a romantic, so she suggested we bet on it, and as we all know, I can't pass up a challenge."

"What was the bet?"

"Jenny was betting that the next man to court Skye would be you. I bet that before the year was up, Skye would land herself a good boy from school. When Trip finally plucked up the courage to ask her out, Jenny was red in the face. Easiest 20 dollars Ive ever made."

"Who is this Tripp I keep hearing about?" Mr. Hanson pointed out into the crowd where Skye was walking towards them, with another boy in tow. He was tall and dark, toned chest barely concealed in his thin t-shirt and the sun reflecting off the top of his head. He had a big smile on his face as he followed Skye to where Grant and Mr. Hanson stood. He nodded to the older man, and the older man acknowledged him with a nod before setting off in search of his wife.

"Grant, this is Antoine Tripplett, my boyfriend. Tripp, this is Grant Ward, an old friend of mine." The boys shook hands, and Tripp spoke

"It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

"That's funny. I've never heard about you." Grant was taken aback by his own response. Skye shot him a warning glace, before giving a nervous laugh,

"Oh don't mind him. He never seems to like my boyfriends. He threw the last one in the pool after bashing him in the nose." Tripp shifted nervously,

"C'mon girl. From what I've heard, your last boyfriend was a creep." Grant answered,

"I can contest to that. Besides, he was calling her a whore. Boyfriend or no, thats just disrespectful." Tripp nodded in agreement.

"Well I appreciate you standing up for my girl." He reached over and slid a hand behind Skye. She leaned into him ever so slightly, and gave a contended sigh. It was a small show of affection but for some reason, Grant wanted nothing more than to take Tripp's arm from behind Skye's back and twist it behind his back. They continued with the small talk when there was crash from the kitchen as well as shouting, so Skye ran off towards the house, with Tripp following behind.

As soon as they disappeared Grant gave a huge sigh. The excitement that he had felt when he first arrived at the house was quickly evaporating. For some inexplicable reason, seeing Skye and Trip had drained him of all his energy. Maybe it was his 10 hour drive catching up to him. After all, Skye was happy, and after all, that's all he really wanted right? For Skye to be happy?

He shook his head and went back inside, where Skye was busy picking up utensils off the kitchen floor with the help of Tripp. He offered his assistance but Skye insisted he mingle with the other guests. So he found himself on the couch between the couple that had greeted him at the door. At least he thought they were a couple, when he mentioned it, they both turned red and shook their heads. They seemed to get over their initial doubt about him and began to bombard him with questions.

"Did you really meet Skye when she was 5?"

"How did she look?"

"What's it like to be the son of a senator?"

"Do you go to congress a lot?"

"Do people recognize you at school?"

Grant patiently answered all their questions, he had heard them all before.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Grant was taken aback by the question, Fitz spoke before Grant could answer,

"Jemma! You can't just ask him if he has a girlfriend! That's a rude!"

"What? Its a genuine question, an attractive man as him, he must have girls all over him over at school!" Grant found a pause in the conversation which he used to speak,

"No. I do not have a girlfriend at the moment."

"See? For all you know he could be going through a tough break-up right now!" Grant shook his head,

"Nope, I haven't had a serious relationship since before I graduated." He had entered into a few brief flings during his time at school, but nothing too serious. After Raina, he hadn't really found someone with a deep connection. Now that he thought about it, after the break-up with Raina, Skye was really the only girl that had stayed consistent in his life.

"Oh I see." Grant caught the look Jemma gave Fitz.

"Wait, what was that for?"Fitz shrugged his shoulders and Jemma tried to put on her best innocent face.

"Oh nothing."

"No. It was something. Now was is it?" Jemma remained tight lipped but Fitz spoke,

"Oh, its just that Jemma is under the impression that you and Skye are in love." What was it with people insisting that he and Skye were anything more than just friends.

"You've known me for all of an hour and you already think that?" Jemma nodded,

"Well its quite obvious if you ask me. You drove 10 hours just to make it on time to this party, and you brought a gift even when it wasn't required." Grant subconsciously nudged his gift further behind his back, "And based off the way Skye greeted you when she saw you, the cares really deeply about you-"

"Thats because we're friends and I hadn't seen her since August." Jemma gave him an impatient glare.

"May I finish?" Grant gestured for her to continue, "There's also the business with Tripp. I saw you talking with Skye alone and then with Tripp. It's like night and day. Now I assume you're a gentleman, so you wouldn't do anything to endanger their relationship, but I swear you looked as though you were ready to attack to poor boy when he put his arm around Skye." Grant didn't want to respond, or really admit that he had been considering the idea. "Last but not least, I've seen the way you look at the girl, and if that's not love then I don't know what is."

"Brilliant deduction's Sherlock," Grant replied sarcastically, "You got me. I'm head over heels in love with Miss Skye. You wont mention will you? I would hate to complicate things with her significant other!" Fitz gave a snort of laughter, and Jemma gave them both a disapproving glare.

"Fine. Deny it all you want, but don't come crying to me when you realize what a pair of idiot you are." With that she stood and strode off towards the kitchen. Fitz sighed next to him,

"She's a handful that one. She insists that she knew Tripp liked Skye before Tripp knew himself." Grant shrugged and took a sip of his drink. He felt Fitz looking at him before he spoke,

"Well I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna see where she ran off to." He stood and Grant watched him leave the room.

He thought back to what Jemma had insisted was proof of his feelings. Grant had to admit, he hadn't expected to see Skye with someone. Not that he had spent any time thinking of it. He was just surprised that was all. Skye had never mentioned Tripp, that much was true. But they didn't talk as much this year, maybe she just never got a chance? Whatever, that was the past. In the present, Skye was with Tripp and she seemed happy, what with graduation past and college in August.

Grant sighed when he realized he was going to have to apologize to Tripp. His comment was rude, and Tripp hadn't done anything to him. 'Feelings' or no, Grant was a gentleman, and Tripp made Skye happy. And that was the most important thing. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semi-jealous Grant is always fun at parties.
> 
> I hope you like how i integrated Fitzsimmons.
> 
> How would you feel about a sequel from Skye's point of view. It would be in the same timeline, but different events from Skye's life from her perspective. Maybe?
> 
> Let me know.
> 
> Don't forget to review and comment. They mean a lot to me.
> 
> Till next time
> 
> -Alex


	9. Age 23

Grant is 23 when he admits his feelings. Sorta.

Grant squinted at his phone, comparing the name on the neon lights to the one on his phone. _The Playground_. He was definitely in the right place. It had been Skye's idea to celebrate her 21st birthday in a bar. Something about "Celebrating boozing legally." He had heard a few things about The Playground, none of them being particularly flattering, but Skye had insisted.

He could already hear the roar of laughter and singing from the customers inside, and the sound intensified as he opened the door. The building was dimly lit, and there was the pungent smell of cigar smoke. He squinted trying to find his friends through the smoke and was rewarded with a loud Oy! He smiled when he recognized the Scotsman waving at him from the back.

When he arrived at the table he saw several familiar faces. Lincoln nodded at him while Jemma leaped up to embrace him in a hug. Tripp waved at him and continued his conversation with the Koening Brothers. Grant couldn't help but notice that Jemma and Lincoln were strategically placed between Skye and Tripp.

According to Fitz they had they had broken up several months ago, amicably, but Grant still held in a smile at the space between the two. When Skye spotted him she waved him over to the empty seat on her left. He grabbed the seat gratefully and asked the waitress for a beer. He studied his surroundings and couldn't help but wonder how long his friends had been there.

Skye had just downed her 4th beer and was calling for a 5th, Jemma only had 2 bottles in front of her but was already flushed and giggling. Trip was still nursing his singular beer, and Lincoln, still under 21, was sipping on his sprite. When the waitress finally returned with his drink she shot him a suggestive smile and a wink. He smiled back at her and raised his bottle to her.

It was that moment Skye turned her attention to him,

"Lookit here, Mr. Security Consultant taking a load off with a beer! Who would've thunk." Grant smiled but said nothing, lifting the drink to his lips and giving her a wink. He could've sworn that Skye had blushed, but he dismissed it as a trick of light and the alcohol. They sat for a while, drinking, and trading stories.

"So I'm manning the IT desk, and I get this call from this freshman, freaking out that he accidentally deleted his research paper, and he needed to get it back. So naturally I go to try to help him and what does he say? 'Can you patch me through to the professionals. I think this is a little bit more sophisticated than a regular secretarial issue.' And I can't help to wonder, should I inform this idiot that my major is, in fact, computer science, or do I send him over to Walter and have Walter fuck him over?" Skye leans back and smirks, "Naturally, I did both. Safe to say Mr. Daniels had one less research paper to grade."

The table erupted in laughter. As soon as it died down, Skye perked up again, her gaze directed at the now empty karaoke stage. It made sense now why Skye had chosen this particular bar. She never could resist the chance to sing loudly and publicly. She reached out and grabbed Grant's hand. He tried to ignore the spark of electricity that ran through his arms with her touch. She turned her face toward him, excitement in her eyes,

"Oh please Grant! Just one duet!" Grant shook his head,

"Oh no! There's no way you're dragging me onto that stage." He crossed his arms in defiance. Skye frowned and made her lip quiver, "Oh no. That puppy face may have worked when we were kids, but not now."

"Pleeaassssee! It's my birthday!" she begged, soon the rest of the table chimed in, culminating with a chant of his name. Finally Grant relented. Skye squeaked in happiness and pulled him up from the table, dragging him toward the stage. He climbed up and adjusted his microphone while Skye whispered into the DJ's ear. He raised his eyebrows in question when she joined him, but she just gave him a mischievous grin. She adjusted her mic, and then nodded to the DJ.

Grant laughed when he heard the beat, Really? Empire State of Mind? She would expect me to rap. Skye looked at him expectantly. Grant figured, he was already drunk, might as well enjoy himself.

**_Yea, yea I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca_ **   
**_Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever_ **

The bar erupted in cheers and Skye gave him a surprised look. He grabbed the mic off the stand and began to walk up and down the stage, emulating his best Jay-Z. When the chorus began he stopped and pointed to Skye who effortlessly channeled her inner Alicia Keys.

**_In New York,_ **   
**_Concrete jungle where dreams are made of_ **   
**_There's nothin' you can't do_ **

Grant was temporarily stunned at Skye's voice. It was way different than the voice she used the sing in the car. He almost missed his cue to begin the second verse. The crowd went wild and clapped along to the rest of the song.

When it was finally over, Grant had to catch his breath. In his semi-drunk haze, he felt light and content, and the big smile Skye gave him made him want to soar into the sky. When they stepped off stage Skye was immediately enveloped by their friends. Grant found himself surrounded by a group of women. He tried to excuse himself back to his friends, but one aggressive girl managed to slip her number into his pocket before he could make it to the table. Fitz had ordered another round of beers for the table and Jemma was trying to convince Tripp to sing with her,

"C'mon girl, we all know I can't sing." Jemma pleaded one more time before focusing her efforts on Fitz. Fit was a lot less strong willed than Tripp and in no time they were on stage, singing along to Grease. Grant couldn't help but admire Skye while she laughed. Her whole body shook, and her eyes squinted. Her beautiful brown hair bounced with each movement.

 _Stop staring. Someone's going to notice._ Grant shook himself from his reverie, and took a large sip from his beer, returning his focus to the two geniuses on stage.

A couple hours later, the bartender rang the bell for last call and the friends began to say their goodbyes. Lincoln went outside to try to find a cab for his friends and Tripp draped an inebriated Jemma over his shoulder while Fitz stumbled behind them. Grant and Skye were the last to leave, the excitement from the last few hours finally draining away. Grant called a cab while she settled the tab. When he finally got a car, she insisted he see her home, so Grant climbed in behind her and directed the cab.

As the cab made its way through town, Skye yawned and leaned her head on his shoulder. Grant tensed at the initial contact, but eventually allowed himself to relax. By the time they reached her apartment, Skye was out like a light. Grant made sure to pay the cabbie before gently pulling Skye out. He considered waking her up, but she looked so peaceful, he decided against it.

Luckily, Skye's apartment complex had a working elevator, so Grant carried her bridal style all the way to her door. A sympathetic neighbor heard him trying to grab her keys and unlocked the door for him. He thanked them and kicked the door closed behind him. It only took him a couple tries to find her bedroom and he promptly laid her down on top of the sheets. Skye gave a small mumble and snuggled up to the pillow. Grant smiled and placed a small kiss on her forehead and whispered,

"I love you Skye." He waited with bated breath, hoping Skye was still asleep. Skye just gave a sigh. He gave a sigh of relief.

He pulled the covers over her frame and left a water bottle and trashcan next to her bed before slipping out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> There's going to be just a few more chapters till the end.
> 
> Following the conclusion of this story, I will be making a sequel from Skye's POV.
> 
> Review, Comment, and let me know what you think. It means a lot to me.
> 
> Till next time.
> 
> -Alex


	10. Age 28

Grant is 28 when Skye admits her feelings.

Grant was on his way to an assignment. His boss had called him early in the morning about a job out in the country. Some sort of paranoid billionaire in need of some assistance transporting some important documents. He plugged in the address into his GPS and was on his way. Traffic wasn't so bad on Saturday mornings, so he was zipping through the lights with no problem.

Next to him his phone began to ring. He took a cursory glance at the phone screen. It was an unknown number, so he ignored it and let it go to voicemail. He continued on in silence for a few minutes before the phone rang once more, again the Unknown number. This better be important. He thought as he reached over to grab the phone. He looked over at the seat, the phone inches way from his fingers. He leaned over and grasped the phone. He returned his focus on the road just in time to see an SUV run the red light in front of him.

Grant slammed on the breaks but the car was going too fast. He watched in horror as his car slammed into the back of the SUV. There was a loud crash and he could feel his body move forward, only to be stopped by his seatbelt. His body slammed back into the seat and his head fell forward, hitting the steering wheel and knocking him out.

When Grant woke up he head hurt like crazy, and his eyesight was blurred. He could see the ceiling lights pass him by as the EMT's wheeled him through the emergency room.

The male EMT relayed his information to the doctor who had drawn up next to him. "Male, late 20's, car crash. Some idiot ran the red light. Unconscious on the scene. In and out on the way here. Possible cranial injuries, plus damage from the glass and seatbelt." The doctor nodded and looked at Grant, smiling when she noticed his eyes open.

"Hello there sir. Would you mind telling me your name?" Grant opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried again with the same result." The doctor gave him a sympathetic smile, and the EMT pulled out the wallet the had taken off of him at the scene,

"Grant Ward, 28." The doctor snapped to attention at the mention of his last name.

"Ward? Like senator Ward?" The EMT shrugged,

"Must be his son." They had arrived at the double doors leading into the surgery wing. They stopped for a brief moment, the doctor gestured to a nurse.

"Mr. Solis, I need you to find Mr. Ward's file, but I need you to do it discreetly. We don't want the press to find out before his father does." The male nurse nodded and took off towards the desk. Grant suddenly felt very sick. He leaned over the bed and vomited over the edge of bed.

"We need to get him to CT! And I need a clean-up here!" They pushed through the double doors and Grant's vision began to darken again before he lapsed into unconsciousness.

The headache was still there when Grant woke up again. This time it seemed a bit dulled, probably from whatever pain killers they gave him. He attempted to move, or even open his eyes, but his body was not cooperating. Instead, he focused on listening to his surroundings. There was the steady beep of the monitors on his left and he could hear the faint ringing of the phones at the nurses station, but the only other thing was the sound of breathing. His, and someone else. Based off the slow tempo, the other breather must have been sleeping.

He heard the creak of the door open and someone whisper,

"Skye?"

The other person, Skye, took a sharp inhale of breath.

"I'm sorry to wake you. The nurses told me I could find you here." Grant recognized the voice of Bobbi. "How's he doing?" Based off the shuffling, Skye had stood up from where she was napping and Bobbi entered the room fully.

"They said there was swelling in his brain, from hitting the steering wheel, but they did some surgery to alleviate the pressure. He's also got a couple broken ribs and a fractured wrist. Now they're just waiting to see if he wakes up to see if the surgery did it's job." The room was silent again for a few moments before Bobbi spoke again,

"Has the Senator seen him yet?"

"He was in here a couple hours ago with Mrs. Ward. They didn't stay too long." More silence. Skye finally spoke again. "Do you think he'll wake up? I mean, the doctors seem positive, but he was supposed to wake up hours ago." He heard Bobbi shift, presumably closer to Skye to comfort her.

"Grant is stubborn and strong. If he was going to die, he would've done it already." Skye gave a watery laugh, "His body just needs some time to heal, thats all." Skye sniffed,

"He told me he loved me." If it were't for the steady beeping of the machine, he probably would of thought his heart stopped. She heard me say it?

"Did he now?" Grant could hear the smile in Bobbi's voice. He had mentioned once to Bobbi that Jemma thought he was in love with Skye, and she had admitted that she had thought the same for a while.

"It was years ago. I was drunk and he took me home, like the gentleman he is. Then he put me to bed and kissed me on the forehead. He must've thought I was asleep, because as soon as he said it he got all tense. As though he was afraid I would hear him."

"And you didn't mention it to him afterwards?"

"I wanted to! But he seemed so embarrassed at first. Then I couldn't find the right time to bring it up, then it felt awkward to bring it up so long afterward."

"What would you have said?"

"I don't know. I never really thought that far ahead." She gave a sigh, "He's been my best friend since before I knew what a best friend was. He's always been there for me. I didn't want anything to mess up our friendship." Bobbi hummed in understanding,

"I get you. It took me years to finally admit that Lance was anything more than my best friend."

"What did you do when you finally realized?"

"I got him very drunk and told him."

"Why did you get him drunk?"

"That way if he didn't feel the same way, I could just pass it off as some drunk dream." Skye giggled,

"Smart."

"As luck would have it, Lance seemed to be harboring a major crush on me."

"So it all worked out in the end?"

"Yea. I guess it did. Now tell me Skye. How do you feel about Grant?"

"Well when he first told me, I didn't know how I felt. I was hoping that just talking to him like normal would help me sort out my feelings."

"And did it?"

"No. If anything, it made me even more confused. And then I get a call at 9 am from the hospital telling me that he's been in an accident and that I need to come in. And now..."

"And now?"

"I love him Bobbi. I don't know why it took me so long to realize it, but I love him, and now he won't wake-up so I can tell him." It took what little strength he had, but Grant managed to open his eyes and look at the two women standing on the side of the bed. Skye's head was buried in Bobbi's chest and the older woman was giving her a comforting pat on the back. He smiled and spoke, the words faint, but still loud enough so they could hear him,

"Well I'm awake now. Anything you need to tell me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Please rate and review. It means a lot to me.
> 
> Till next time
> 
> -Alex


	11. Age 30

Grant is 30 when he sees the love of his life walking down the aisle.

After waking up in the hospital, it only took a few minutes for Skye to admit her feelings and Grant to admit that he reciprocated her feelings. Immediately following his release from the hospital, Grant took Skye to her favorite restaurant, The Bus, for their first official date. They had steak and mashed potatoes and Grant picked the asparagus off Skye's plate. Neither could keep the smiles off their faces the whole night, and Grant dropped her off outside her apartment like a perfect gentleman, placing a tender kiss on her cheek before she slipped in her door.

Apparently the "When Will They Get Together" pool that the Hansons had started so many years before had grown to include all their close friends. Skye's boss at SHIELD Tech, Phil Coulson, had won. (He had bet they would get together before either turned 30) Grant had met him and his wife, Melinda May a couple times before, when Skye dragged him to work parties. The couple had been known Skye since before she had been adopted, and had been looking into adopting her when the Hansons adopted her. Phil, the owner of SHIELD Tech, had offered to pay for Skye's college on the condition that she work for SHIELD for at least 2 years following graduation. Skye agreed and once she started working, she never wanted to leave. Skye always commented on how grateful that she went from a friendless orphan to having the best friend a girl could ask for and two sets of parents that loved her.

For this reason, when Grant decided to propose a year and a half following their first date, he asked both Harry Hanson and Phil Coulson for their blessings. Both consented without hesitation.

Grant took Skye back to his old house, the same place where they had met over a two decades ago. Skye grinned at the memory, sliding her hand along the gate that she had slipped through so many times. They stopped at the spot in the fence that seven year old Grant had built his tower of phone books and chairs. Grant turned and grasped Skye's hands. Curiosity gleamed in her eyes.

"23 years ago, on this spot, I saw for the first time the girl who would be my best friend. The girl who would make me laugh when I had a shitty day, the girl who would get me drunk and drag me to sing karaoke, the girl who would drive me crazy because I was too stupid to admit my feelings. I like to think that I'm one of the lucky ones. My best friend in the whole world is also the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with." Tears of joy were freely streaming down the face of the young woman. Grant bent down on one knee and pulled out a small box from inside his jacket pocket. Skye gave an audible gasp. "Skye Daisy Hanson, will you allow me the honor of becoming my wife?" Skye was so overcome with emotion there was nothing she could do but nod emphatically. Grant immediately stood and enveloped his fiancée in a big bear hug.

6 months later, Grant stood at the end of the aisle, shifting in his tux nervously. Behind him, he could hear the groomsmen, Lincoln, Tripp, and Fitz whispering to themselves and Lance, the best man, immediately shush them. Across the aisle the bridesmaids stood pretty in their blue dresses. Grant caught Bobbi sneaking glances at Lance while Skye's coworkers, Maria and Natasha, were adjusting their dresses.

Suddenly the room swelled with music and all the guests stood and turned to the back. Skye stepped out into the room and Grant temporarily forgot how to breathe. The looked stunning in her white dress, it hugged her body favorably, and the ruffles on the train made it seem as though she was an apparition from heaven. on her left, Mr. Hanson lead her along while Jemma followed behind, preventing her train from catching on the pews.

"Breathe man!" Lance whispered in his ear, and Grant released a sigh. Skye had reached the front and kissed her father on the cheek before taking the final steps to Grant and priest. The guests took their seats and the priest spoke briefly for a few minutes before allowing the couple to say their own vows. Grant went first, reiterating what he said in his proposal, adding,

"I once told you once as a kid, that you're always loved, by my parents, by your parents, and now, more than ever by me. I love you."

Skye went next. Grabbing a folded sheet of notebook paper from Jemma and looking over it for a moment before speaking,

"I was 5, and I had just gotten sent back to St. Agnes. I had never felt so alone in this world when a voice spoke up from the other side of the fence, asking me if I was ok. Suddenly, I wasn't so alone anymore. You've brought so much happiness in my life, theres no words that can describe how grateful I am to have you in my life. Even when I felt worthless, you were always there to remind me that I was loved, and that I inspired me to go after everything I dreamed, and not to let douchbags get the last word. No other person knows me like you do, and I look forward to learning more about you, as a best friend, as a boyfriend, as a husband. I love you Grant Ward." There was a sniffle from the crowd that sounded suspiciously like Phil. The priest spoke again,

"Grant, do you thee take Skye Daisy Hanson, as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do."

"Skye, do you thee take Grant Douglas Ward, as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health till death do you part?"

"I do." The priest nodded to Lance and Jemma, who stepped forward with the wedding bands.

"By the power vested in me, by God and the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife." They both slid on the wedding rings and smiled, "You may now kiss the bride." Grant took Skye by surprise and dipped her, kissing her passionately. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause and a few whoops of excitement. When Grant led Skye up, she was flushed pink. As they walked back out down the aisle Grant grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Skye looked at him, twinkle in her eye and Grant knew then. Everything would be okay. As long as they were together, they would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry its such a short chapter, but I hope I did it justice. There will be one more chapter, the epilogue and then it will be the end :( but have no fear, I am working on a sequel from Skye's POV.
> 
> Please rate and review. It means a lot.
> 
> Let me know what you think.
> 
> Till next time
> 
> -Alex


	12. Age 38

Grant is 38 when he drops his daughter off at her first day of school.

They parked in front of the school and Grant eyed the school nervously.

"Are we sure she's ready? I mean we could always hold her back a year. She'll be the smartest!" Skye scoffed next to him.

"It's a little late to think of that, seeing as its the first day, and were already here." She glanced back at the little girl, Chloe. The little girl was oblivious to the conversation going on in the front. She was looking at the school building as well, rubbing the straps of her book bag nervously. Skye turned back to her husband,

"She's going to be just fine. Don't worry." On cue, Chloe spoke up from the back.

"Mommy?" Skye turned back,

"Yes honey"

"Are we going to go in?" Skye smiled,

"Of course we are! Daddy was just making sure everything was okay for your first day of school!" She opened the door and set to unbuckle the girl from her car seat. Grant turned in his seat and handed Skye the book bag before getting out of the car and joining his family on the sidewalk. Skye pushed back a loose strand of hair from Chloe's face and then stood to marvel at her daughter.

"Beautiful." The little girl blushed at the compliment. A bell rang from the school building, signaling 5 minutes before classes were to begin. Chloe tried to edge her way to the building but her father stopped her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" The girl shook her head slowly. She thought she had everything she needed. "Don't forget to give daddy a hug!" Grant kneeled down and wrapped his arms around the little girl, who squealed in delight when he lifted her off the ground. He twirled her around a couple times before placing her gently back on the floor. She scrunched her nose when he went to peck it with a kiss.

"Alright! It's time we head in!" Skye interrupted reluctantly. The little girl stepped to her mother and held out her hand. Skye took a hold of the small hand and lead the girl to the building. Grant leaned against the car and watched as the most important girls in his life walk into the building. He thought back to the past 8 years with Skye, and couldn't believe how damn lucky he was.

When Skye rejoined him at the car, she couldn't hep but notice the wide grin on his face. She leaned up on the car next to him.

"What are you thinking of?" He turned his gaze over to his wife,

"You." Her cheeks turned pink and she hit him playfully,

"Stop it!"

"What, I can't help it! It's not my fault I've got the most perfect wife!" He leaned in for a kiss, but Skye pulled back,

"Grant! We're still at the school!" Grant grinned, affection seeping from every pore,

"Well lets get out of here and see about making Chloe a big sister."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it was so short but I hope you enjoyed the story. I'm going to make a sequel of this story with Skye's POV.
> 
> Please comment, rate, review, whatever floats your boat. it means a lot to me.


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